Visiting companies will not bring shows to the newly-refurbished Opera House without upgrades to the theatre’s “outdated” technical equipment, according to representatives from the island’s performing arts community – but a Minister has suggested this might be the fault of the Opera House team themselves.
In an open letter to the Chief Minister, the Performing Arts Development Group (PADG) claimed that members were “led to believe” that the Government would fund technical improvements to the building.
It comes just weeks after an “urgent” £1.5m public appeal was launched by the company set to run the newly-refurbished Opera House, after negotiations with the Government over extra work on the theatre broke down.
Jersey Opera House Ltd last month said that, even after the £12.7m restoration of the building, technical upgrades were needed to ensure it could operate as a fully-equipped theatre.
“For the last 18 months we have worked with the Economic Development Department to find a way forward on the inclusion of these essential works, but a solution could not be found,” the company said.
At a media event on 15 January, Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said talks were “carrying on at the moment”.
“High-quality” productions not possible
In the letter dated Thursday 20 February, PADG Chair Tim Evans wrote: “In meetings we had with representatives of the Government and the Jersey Opera House in the early stages of, and during, the planned works on the theatre, the members of this group were led to believe by the Minister that the funding included for the improvements needed to bring the technical side into the twenty-first century.
“Without an upgrade to the onstage and backstage sound, lighting and communication systems, the local companies would be unable to present any of the high-quality productions this island has come to know and love, such as Sunset Boulevard, Les Miserables, Shrek, The Wizard of Oz, or Pirates of Penzance.”
Mr Evans claimed that much of the Opera House’s “outdated” technical equipment is now over 25 years old.
He called for “modern staging systems” to be put in place to allow scenery to be changed, performers to be notified, and visiting companies to bring digital sound and lighting equipment.
Mr Evans added: “In order to make this beautiful old theatre the gem it should be, it needs to be able to operate to its full potential.
“For visiting companies to bring shows from the UK, the Jersey Opera House would have to meet the standards of a mid-scale receiving theatre; similar to the Theatre Royal in Windsor, the Palace Theatre in Watford or the Liverpool Playhouse.
“Finishing off the refurbishment to allow this to happen would enable the performers to perform and the audiences to enjoy the shows, in the stunningly historic, yet technically modern surroundings, that this island deserves.”
The letter was also signed by the Jersey Amateur Dramatic Club, Jersey Green Room Theatre Company, The Curtain Up Theatre Group, TimpanAli Productions, Jersey Symphony Orchestra Association, and Jersey Island Singers.
“I am not here to answer for other people’s failure to do the work that they needed to do”
Yesterday afternoon, before the JPAG sent their letter to the Chief Minister, Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel was grilled by Scrutiny politicians on shortcomings in the Opera House renovation project.
Deputy Morel said an independent audit has now found the existing equipment is “in the main usable” but acknowledged it was “not the latest, not the greatest”.
He said that the Opera House board had only provided “one quote from one supplier” for the technical upgrades.
“We had asked many months before for more than one quote. You cannot in government spend millions of pounds on one quote from one supplier,” Deputy Morel said.
He said he had personally requested an independent audit of the technology and asked about alternative options like wireless technologies, but “we were rebuffed on all fronts by the Opera House about exploring these.”
The project’s Senior Responsible Officer told the Economic International Affairs Scrutiny Panel that while the Opera House board was involved in project meetings throughout 2022 and 2023, the technical equipment requirements “were never part of the original specification.”
The officer said when technical upgrades were finally raised, the estimated costs kept increasing – from £60,000 to £1.2 million for cabling alone – with equipment costs eventually reaching £2.5 million.
The Minister said he was open to government potentially funding some of the upgrades but insisted proper specifications and multiple quotes were needed first.
“I am not here to answer for other people’s failure to do the work that they needed to do,” Deputy Morel told the panel.
You can download the full letter HERE.